1 - Pres. Trump is About to Damage
U.S. Interests Just to Please Erdogan
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Bishop Sahak Mashalyan elected Istanbul’s Armenian
patriarchal locum tenens
3 - Armenian Religious Leaders, Organizations Issue Joint Statement
Welcoming UN Allegation Letter Against Turkey
4- Hye Notes: UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music
Gives Armenian Music New Life
5- RJ story revealing $25M donation by Kirk Kerkorian
brings investigation at UNLV
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1 - Pres. Trump is About to Damage
U.S. Interests Just to Please Erdogan
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
Pres. Donald Trump is on the verge of making a serious mistake,
jeopardizing the security of the United States and other NATO members
if he decides not to sanction Turkey for purchasing Russian S-400
missiles which are incompatible with NATO military systems and expose
the operational secrets of the latest F-35 U.S. air force jets.
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed three resolutions warning
Turkey not to purchase the Russian missiles and has threatened to
block the sale of F-35 jets to Turkey. In addition, Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo and national security officials have publicly announced
that the United States will impose severe sanctions on Turkey for
purchasing the Russian missiles. Pres. Trump, an indecisive man and
fond of all dictators and particularly Turkey’s despotic President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is on the verge of ignoring all his top advisors
and the majority of Congress, allowing Turkey to violate the U.S.
sanctions law.
On June 29, 2019, when the leaders of G-20 countries met in Osaka,
Japan, Pres. Erdogan had a final chance to convince Pres. Trump not to
punish Turkey for the purchase of the Russian missiles.
Here are excerpts of the alarming statements Pres. Trump made during
his meeting with Pres. Erdogan in the presence of journalists:
Pres. Trump: “… It’s my honor to be with a friend of mine, somebody
I’ve become very close to, in many respects, and he’s doing a very
good job: the President of Turkey. And we have a meeting largely to do
with trade. We’re doing more and more business, and we expect to be
able to quadruple that business with Turkey. We think it will be
great. They’re great craftsmen. They have great product. And we’re
opening it up. We also do military trading, and they buy a lot of our
military equipment. And it’s an honor to be with you, Mr. President.”
Then pointing to Pres. Erdogan’s entourage in the room, Pres. Trump
said: “And look at these people, how nice they are. Look at them.
They’re so easy to deal with. Look at them. Central casting. There’s
no Hollywood set where you could produce people that look like them.”
Pres. Erdogan responded: “Mr. President, first, I would like to
express that it’s very meaningful for us to come together here at the
Osaka Summit. And we are currently going towards fulfilling the goal
of a $75 billion trade volume. And there are many steps that we need
to take within the defense industry area, but, more importantly, we
have a strategic partnership. And the strategic partnership also
encourages us to create solidarity across many areas, and I have full
belief that our solidarity will continue throughout the strategic
partnership.”
After these introductory remarks, Pres. Trump responded to reporters’ questions:
Reporter: “Mr. President, what will you do about the S-400s? Is the
U.S. going to have to impose sanctions if he takes possession?”
Pres. Trump: “Well, we’re discussing it. We have a complicated
situation because the President was not allowed to buy the Patriot
missiles. So when he bought the other ones—the S-200s or 400s—when he
bought them, he wanted to do this, but he wasn’t allowed by the Obama
administration to buy them until after he made a deal to buy other
missiles. So he buys the other missile and then, all of a sudden, they
say, ‘Well, you can now buy our missile.’ You don’t—you can’t do
business that way. It’s not good. It’s not good.”
Reporter: “Does that mean is there way—so could you….”
Pres. Trump: “We’re looking at different solutions. It’s a problem,
there’s no question about it. We’re looking at different solutions.
But he was prohibited from buying until he said he bought something
else. And then, as soon as he buys something else, everybody says,
‘Okay. You can buy it.’ You can’t do business that way. Turkey has
been a friend of ours and they’ve done—we’ve done great things
together. We’re a big trading partner. We’re going to be much bigger.
I think the $75 billion is small. I think it’s going to be well over
$100 billion soon. You can’t treat people that way, like the Obama
administration did….”
Reporter: “Will the U.S. impose sanctions against Turkey on S-400 purchase?”
Pres. Trump: “We’re looking at it. But it’s a double—it’s a two-way
street. They wouldn’t sell the President—they wouldn’t let him—they
wouldn’t let him buy the missile that he wanted to buy, which is the
Patriot. And then, after he buys from somebody else, he says ‘Now
we’ll sell you the Patriot.’ So, I have to tell you, he’s a NATO
member, he’s somebody that I have become friendly with. And you have
to treat people fairly. You understand that. You have to treat people
fairly. And I don’t think he was treated fairly. I don’t think he was
treated fairly.”
Reporter: “The ball is in your court though now, Mr. President. Will
you? You’re the one who makes the decision. Will impose the
sanctions?”
Pres. Trump: “So we’ll see you at the hotel at 3:30….”
Reporter: “Mr. President, are you going to Turkey in July? Will you be
going to Turkey in July, Mr. President? When are you going to Turkey?”
Pres. Trump: “I will, at some point, be going to Turkey. I’ve been
invited, and I will be—I will be going to Turkey, yes.”
Reporter: “This year, Mr. President? Will you go to Turkey this year?
Will you go in July?”
Pres. Trump: “We haven’t set a date.”
It is shocking that Pres. Trump is siding with the Turkish leader
against former Pres. Obama, the U.S. Congress and his own national
security officials. Secondly, it is a lie that Pres. Obama had refused
to sell Turkey U.S. Patriot missiles. Turkey did not accept the terms
of the sale.
Just like in many of his decisions, Pres. Trump seems to be putting
his personal interests—several million dollars of income for having
his name on two Trump buildings in Istanbul—ahead of U.S. national
interests. Why would he repeatedly praise Erdogan, a dictator and a
major human rights violator?
At the time of writing this article, the Russian missiles were already
on their way to Turkey. What will be Pres. Trump’s final decision on
sanctions? Will he damage NATO’s and U.S. national interests just to
please Erdogan? If he does, I hope no Armenian-American or anyone else
will vote for Trump in 2020.
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2- Bishop Sahak Mashalyan elected Istanbul’s Armenian
patriarchal locum tenens
ISTANBUL—Bishop Sahak Mashalyan has been elected a patriarchal locum
tenens in the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, Zhamanak reported.
July 4, the election of a patriarchal locum tenens was held in the
Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul.
There were two candidates—Archbishop Aram Ateshyan and Bishop Sahak
Mashalyan. Mashalyan received 13 votes, whereas Ateshyan received 11
votes.
On March 8, 2019, Patriarch Mesrob II passed away in Istanbul after
being more than a decade in a dementia-related coma.
It should be reminded that in 2017 the elections of the patriarch of
Constantinople were also held. Former leader of the Armenian Diocese
of Germany Garegin Bekchyán was then elected.
But the official Ankara, ignored this choice of the Constantinople’s
ecclesiastics and after some time, Bekchyan’s tenure was declared
invalid.
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3 - Armenian Religious Leaders, Organizations Issue Joint Statement
Welcoming UN Allegation Letter Against Turkey
On June 20, the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, Catholicosate of Antelias,
Armenian Evangelical World Council, Armenian General Benevolent Union,
and Armenian Missionary Association of America issued a joint
statement welcoming the joint action of the United Nations (UN)
Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, the UN
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to
freedom of opinion and _expression_, and the UN Special Rapporteur on
the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of
non-recurrence, which, in the framework of their mandates, addressed a
Joint Allegation Letter to the Government of the Republic of Turkey.
“This Joint Allegation marks an important step in the process of
demanding from the Republic of Turkey to come to terms with the Past
and primarily to fulfil its duty of investigation and to ensure the
right of victims to the truth, justice and reparations. It stresses
the alleging violations attributable to Turkey in relation to the
tragic events that affected the Armenian minority from 1915 to 1923,
and their consequences for the population concerned,” said the
statement.
“It expresses concern at the reported Turkish State denial, at the
legislation restraining freedom of opinion and of _expression_ related
to some wording, and ensuing lack of progress in establishing the
truth and ensuring justice for the forcible deportation of Armenians
between 1915 and 1923, which resulted in massive suffering,
ill-treatment and deaths. It also emphasizes that this situation
affects the dignity of victims and of their descendants,” said the
statement.
The United Nations allegation letter asked of Turkey in particular:
What measures has Turkey taken to establish the facts, including the
fate or whereabouts of Armenians who were subjected to forced internal
displacement, detention, extrajudicial killings and enforced
disappearances during the period of 1915-1923? What measures have been
taken to ensure the right of victims and of society as a whole to know
the truth about these events, and to ensure the right of victims to
justice and reparations for the damage suffered? What measures have
been taken to locate, insofar as possible, the bodies of Armenians who
died as a result of these events?
The allegation letter also asks Turkey: to provide information about
the reasons for the adoption of the 2017 legislation preventing
lawmakers from making certain expressions; to explain how this is
compatible with international human rights law, in particular with
article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR); to provide detailed information about the cases in which
Article 301 of the Criminal Code has been applied to punish
individuals for statements made alleging crimes against Armenians.
On May 17, the government of Turkey, Sadik Arslan, Turkey’s Permanent
Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, flatly refused to
answer the questions set forth by the UN in the allegation letter.
“We praise the special procedures engaged by the WGEID and the two
Special Rapporteurs and we support the pursuit of this unprecedented
and important process.While this effort is not a substitute for
genocide recognition or full and adequate reparations for the mass
atrocities and confiscations of properties suffered by the Armenians
during this period, actions by the relevant United Nations human
rights organs would constitute significant steps toward the disclosure
of the truth and redress for this open wound on humanity,” said the
statement in closing.
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4- Hye Notes: UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music
Gives Armenian Music New Life
Dr. Hovsep and Mrs. Hilda Fidanian together with the UCLA Herb Albert
School of Music hosted a salon at their home in Glendale to present
Armenian classical and contemporary music music performed by UCLA’s
VEM Ensemble, comprised of top graduate students at the school. Prior
to this intimate concert, guests enjoyed remarks from the hosts, as
well as Professor Movses Pogossian, Director of The Armenian Music
Program, Professor Ian Krouse, former Academic Associate Dean of the
UCLA School of Music, and Helen Haig, Senior Policy Adviser for Gov,
George Deukmejian.
“We at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music are proud to host the
groundbreaking and important Armenian Music Program, and will do
everything we can to ensure it will thrive for many years to come,”
said Dr. Ian Krouse, Professor of Composition and former Academic
Associate Dean of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music
The distinguished guests responded enthusiastically to Professor
Pogossian’s vision for the Armenian Music Program, to the superb
musical performances, and to UCLA’s strong support of Armenian
culture. As one guest said, “I have been proud of being a UCLA Bruin
countless times, but today sets a new high, thanks to the Armenian
Music Program!”
Since 2013, Professor Pogossian and The UCLA Herb Alpert School of
Music have celebrated Armenian music and culture through The Armenian
Music Program, which is dedicated to public outreach through community
performances and scholarship opportunities for students. The
cornerstone of the program, the VEM Ensemble, includes a group of
music students who perform Armenian classical and contemporary music
for community audiences.
The School of Music is working to grow the Armenian Music Program with
increased class offerings, student scholarships, community
performances, academic lectures, and publications.
For more information, contact Valentina Martinez, (310) 825-3629.
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5- RJ story revealing $25M donation by Kirk Kerkorian
brings investigation at UNLV
By Arthur Kane
UNLV has hired a law firm to conduct a leak investigation into a Las
Vegas Review-Journal story about a $25 million anonymous donation to
the school, but it is not clear how much the probe will cost.
“The UNLV Foundation is initiating an Investigation following
publication of a news media article revealing that a UNLV employee may
have violated donor privacy and confidentiality,” according to a
contract signed by the university, the foundation and Jackson Lewis
P.C.
The contract does not include the amount the foundation will pay for
the investigation, but says that the foundation “will be responsible
for paying all of Jackson Lewis’ legal fees, costs and disbursements
for the Investigation.”
Nevada Press Association executive director Richard Karpel said a leak
investigation is not appropriate.
“It’s unfortunate that the UNLV Foundation has chosen to use (public)
dollars to investigate the leak rather than focusing squarely on
fixing the internal systems that led to this mistake,” he said in an
email exchange.
In 2017, the UNLV Foundation announced a $25 million anonymous
donation to help pay for a new medical school building.
The Review-Journal reported in April that foundation officials failed
to take measures to limit who knew that the donor’s identity was the
late billionaire Kirk Kerkorian.
The unredacted check was apparently given to support staff who made
dozens of copies, according to a source familiar with the matter. The
source requested anonymity for fear of losing employment at the
university.
One of those copies of the unredacted check was obtained by the Review-Journal.
A redacted version of the check was made into fliers and distributed
throughout the foundation touting the donation as “Top Secret.” The
flier was to celebrate the large donation, foundation Chief Financial
Officer Tiffany Vickers told the Review-Journal in April.
Anthony Mandekic, executor of the Kerkorian estate who signed the $25
million check, was upset when he learned foundation staffers couldn’t
keep their promise to ensure the donation was anonymous.
“People want to be anonymous for a reason,” he told the Review-Journal
in April. “It should be honored. They’re giving a substantial amount
of money.”
He could not be reached to comment about the leak investigation.
Jackson Lewis litigation manager Deverie Christensen contacted the
Review-Journal June 19, asking for a copy of the unredacted check as
part of its investigation. The Review-Journal declined to provide any
documentation to protect its sources.
Christensen declined comment about the investigation.
“I’m not authorized to communicate with the press,” she said.
Foundation officials issued a statement but did not say how much the
investigation would cost. “The UNLV Foundation is currently reviewing
our processes and procedures to ensure security and professionalism,”
the statement said. “Our interest is in preserving” the
confidentiality of its donors “and serving philanthropists in support
of UNLV.”
This article appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal on June 28,
2019. ************************************************************************************************************************************************
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